Body Shape CalculatorA body shape calculator compares your bust, waist, high hip and hip measurements to classify your figure as one of 8 body shapes: hourglass, top hourglass, bottom hourglass, spoon, triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle or apple.
Body shape, also called body type, is the proportion between the bust, waist and hips. The body shape calculator needs four measurements in inches or centimeters: bust, waist, high hip and hips. The body shape calculator sorts these measurements into 7 shapes based on the FFIT body shape classification published by Lee, Istook, Nam and Park in the International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology (2007). The body shape calculator adds an eighth shape, apple, with its own rule. Men compare chest, shoulders and waist, so men use the male body shape calculator. Body shape guides clothing fit and proportion, and the waist-to-hip ratio from the same measurements is a separate health signal. The steps on how to measure your body shape and the full guide to body shape types explain each measurement and each shape.
How Does the Body Shape Calculator Work?
The body shape calculator subtracts your waist from your bust and hips, compares your bust with your hips, and divides your high hip by your waist to match one of 8 body shape rules.
The body shape rules used by this calculator are listed below.
| Body shape | Rule (inches) | Example (in) | Example (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple (this calculator's own rule) | waist ≥ bust and waist ≥ hips | 36 / 38 / 37 | 91.4 / 96.5 / 94 |
| Hourglass | bust − hips ≤ 1, hips − bust < 3.6, and bust − waist ≥ 9 or hips − waist ≥ 10 | 38 / 27 / 38 | 96.5 / 68.6 / 96.5 |
| Bottom hourglass | hips − bust 3.6 to under 10, hips − waist ≥ 9, high hip ÷ waist < 1.193 | 36 / 28 / 41 (high hip 31) | 91.4 / 71.1 / 104.1 (high hip 78.7) |
| Top hourglass | bust − hips over 1 and under 10, bust − waist ≥ 9 | 40 / 29 / 37 | 101.6 / 73.7 / 94 |
| Spoon | hips − bust > 2, hips − waist ≥ 7, high hip ÷ waist ≥ 1.193 | 35 / 28 / 39 (high hip 34) | 88.9 / 71.1 / 99.1 (high hip 86.4) |
| Triangle (pear) | hips − bust ≥ 3.6, hips − waist < 9 | 34 / 31 / 39 | 86.4 / 78.7 / 99.1 |
| Inverted triangle | bust − hips ≥ 3.6, bust − waist < 9 | 40 / 33 / 35 | 101.6 / 83.8 / 88.9 |
| Rectangle | bust and hips within 3.6, bust − waist < 9, hips − waist < 10 | 35 / 30 / 36 | 88.9 / 76.2 / 91.4 |
Examples are bust / waist / hips. The calculator checks the apple rule first, then the FFIT rules in the order shown.
The body shape result describes proportion only and is not a health or beauty judgment.
Which Measurements Do You Need?
The body shape calculator uses four measurements and one optional measurement.
- Bust: the fullest part of the breasts, measured while wearing a properly fitted bra.
- Waist: the smallest circumference at the natural waist, just above the belly button.
- High hip: the upper swell of the hip over the pelvis, about 7 inches (18 cm) below the natural waist.
- Hips: the largest circumference around the buttocks.
- Shoulders (optional): the width across the shoulders, shown with your result but not used in the 8 shape rules.
Stand straight with your arms at your sides, and keep the tape snug without compressing the body. A full step-by-step guide shows how to measure your body shape at each point.
What Are the 8 Body Shape Types?
The 8 body shape types used by this calculator are listed below; the first seven come from the FFIT classification and the eighth is this calculator's own rule.
- Hourglass: bust and hips are nearly equal, with a much smaller waist.
- Bottom hourglass: hips are larger than bust, with a much smaller waist.
- Top hourglass: bust is larger than hips, with a much smaller waist.
- Spoon: hips are larger than bust, with a defined high-hip "shelf".
- Triangle (pear): hips are larger than bust, with less waist definition.
- Inverted triangle: bust is larger than hips, with less waist definition.
- Rectangle: bust, waist and hips are close in size.
- Apple: waist is equal to or larger than the bust and the hips.
Apple is a common fashion term but is not a class in the FFIT method. The body shape calculator adds apple as its own rule: waist equal to or larger than both bust and hips. The body shape calculator checks the apple rule before the FFIT rules, so a midsection-dominant figure is not reported as rectangle. Each shape has its own guide to measurements and signs in body shape types.
Is the Body Shape Calculator Accurate?
The body shape calculator is accurate when the measurements are taken with a soft tape at the correct points. The result changes when the tape is tilted, when thick clothing adds width, or when inches and centimeters are mixed. The high hip measurement separates spoon from triangle and bottom hourglass, so the body shape calculator requires the high hip. Body shapes are categories, and some measurements fall between two shapes or match no rule.
What If You Are Between Two Body Shapes?
When your measurements sit between two body shapes, the shape with the closest rule describes you best. Small changes of one inch (2.5 cm) can move a result across a rule border. The guide to pear vs hourglass shows the measurement differences between two shapes that are often confused.
What Does Your Body Shape Mean for Clothes?
Your body shape tells you which proportions to balance when choosing clothes. Clothing for a bust-heavy shape balances the shoulders with the hips, and clothing for a hip-heavy shape balances the hips with the shoulders. A defined waist suits shapes with a smaller waist, such as hourglass. Each shape has an outfit guide, such as hourglass outfits, with outfit guides for every shape.
Is There a Body Shape Calculator for Men?
Yes, there is a body shape calculator for men, because male body shapes compare chest, shoulders and waist instead of bust and hips. The male body shape calculator uses these male measurements.
Can You Find Your Body Shape by Height and Weight?
Height and weight can only estimate your body shape, because weight does not show where fat and muscle sit on the body. A tape measure gives a more reliable body shape than height and weight.
Can You Find Your Body Shape Without Measurements?
You can find an approximate body shape without measurements by comparing the width of your shoulders, waist and hips in a mirror or a photo outline. The body shape quiz uses this picture-based method.
What Is a Healthy Waist-to-Hip Ratio?
A healthy waist-to-hip ratio is 0.90 or below for men and 0.85 or below for women, because the World Health Organization defines abdominal obesity as a ratio above 0.90 for men and above 0.85 for women in its 2008 expert consultation on waist circumference and waist-hip ratio. Waist-to-hip ratio is your waist divided by your hips, so a 34-inch waist and 40-inch hips give 0.85. The waist-to-hip ratio calculator returns this ratio from the same measurements.
What Is the Rarest Body Shape?
Hourglass is the rarest reported body shape at 8% of women, and rectangle is the most common at about 46%, according to a North Carolina State University body-scan study of more than 6,300 women. The rarest body shape guide compares these findings with your own calculated body shape.